Vertigo: A Peculiar Gathering
by pebbles and runes
Summary: Shades of rose coloured glass patterned everything- In which Shikamaru can't help but hear an exchanging of words. Everything is a bridal accessory. -Not a songfic; SakuSasu with a bit of angst.


Shades of rose coloured glass patterned everything

A.N.- It's been awhile since I put up anything but I don't think anybody's been waiting on me so I don't feel too bad. This is not something I would recommend to a die-hard Sakura /Sasuke fan but it not made to bash them either; it just wouldn't go away. May the story be worthy of its title. Enjoy.

Disclaimer- You already know, so please, don't sue.

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**Vertigo: A Peculiar Gathering**

Shades of rose coloured glass patterned everything. He heard them before he saw them.

"The ceremony was beautiful," his blonde team mate sighed. Dark pretty crimson flowers were pinned into the base of her ponytail.

"Che." The man beside her frowned into his glass. In the church, the tattoo marks on his cheeks took on an almost bloody hue. Ambling slowly through the shadowed pews, he missed most of what was said next but could make out the phrase clearly;

"-a whore."

Ino's eyes grew pained at the statement and her smile slipped. It was the last thing he saw before slipping down a long corridor. The plush deep coloured carpet softened his steps. The hall was empty; he could hear the reception in the church hall, the low hum of voices from the entrance dispersing into the pronounced archways and solemn alcoves.

He stopped when Hyuga Hinata stumbled forward from around a corner. An angry flush came up in blotches against her skin.

"Nara-kun." The fierce red was already washing out of her face. She seemed colourless in contrast to the dim background. His hands pushed a bit farther into his pockets; past his ticket for the reception and the brief semi-sincere speech scrawled carelessly on a claret napkin, one of the weddings colours.

"Hinata," his eyes drifted to the picture of a saint, maybe the Madonna, before they found her again. "The reception's going to hell in a hand basket. It isn't going to last much longer if they don't show up."

"No, it isn't." she agreed, soft but blunt. Hands clasped at the front of her dress; it twisted the fabric in odd places.

"They're in the first room on the left. You'll hear them," she admitted to the floor. Muted scarlet trickled in, becoming blossoming rouge smattered across her cheeks. He raised an eyebrow in confusion. She lifted her face to meet his briefly then continued down the hallway. Patterned crystals from the windows cast broken shapes against her hair.

He was barely to the corner when he heard it- screaming, distinct screaming. Here the hall was darker. Turning the corner he knocked into a figure. It took milliseconds for his brain to register what happened.

"Konohamaru, Udon, Moegi."

In the failing degrees of light they were crouched around a door. The wood was an almost unnoticeable ruby. Ajar, it muted the yelling to a dull roar.

"Ne, Shikamaru- 'nii-chan, I think she's going to kill him."

He raked a hand through his hair; passing through the ponytail it fell on the knob. Lucid curses reverberated into the brass.

"Go back to the reception," he paused. "Don't say anything about this."

Pushing on the door, he couldn't help but hear,

"You knew about this _shit _and still-!"

He stepped in far enough to see the bride. She sat furthest from the door. Against the dress, her hair took on a more bloodshot quality than pink. The veil swished as she turned from the groom to another occupant.

"How long?"

"I honestly don't know." The other occupant shifted uneasily. He stood some distance from her. The position put him in-between the couple.

She gripped the chair. There was no yelling now.

"You knew, Sakura." No edge accompanied the flat tone of voice. He was the most composed of the three.

"Bastard… what are you talking about?" he stared at her as he addressed the other man.

"She saw me with Sai." The room was quiet.

"Saw you with Sai? Doing what?"

The bride pinched the bridge of her nose. He saw the groom blink at his best man, his cheeks an interesting tint of cherry.

"Idiot! Apply it to the context of the conversation."

Normally bored obsidian eyes raked over each person. Somewhere in the room, a clock ticked out the seconds.

"I will be discreet, Sakura." His voice continued. It broke the shorter silence. "No one will know."

The dress lurched as she threw herself forward, bitterly laughing. "'No one will know?' well, I guess then our marriage is saved. Naruto, pour the fucking champagne; this calls for a toast."

"What the hell do you want?" he asked in a voice barely contained to a whisper. This was not meant for anyone else to hear. "It's too late to undo this, Sakura. Now we have to move forward."

A dry cough erupted politely from the entrance. They faced the man.

"Everyone's waiting at the reception for the new Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha." He met each of their gazes levelly.

"Shikamaru, how much did you hear?" her voice was raw. Classic red from the stained glass reflected in a static pattern over her veil and dress like shards in a kaleidoscope.

"He heard everything," the groom stood. Unaffected, he adjusted his tie.

"Idiot, you're supposed to be out there as the master of ceremonies. You are my best man, aren't you?"

His friend smiled, unusually silent and punched his arm lightly. Unconscious of the altered softness in his timbre, he tried to soothe his other team mate.

"I've always been your idiot too, Sakura-chan."

There was no response to him. Instead she looked out, her orbs seemingly unfocused.

"Shikamaru, you have to understand… it is _not_- you _cannot_," the words came out stumbling and halted. Her new husband bent close to her, whispering something to stem the flow of her speech. The reflective flower holder caught light beneath the sharp carmine hue of his rose.

He numbly nodded at the three members of team seven, excusing himself to the hall. Her oddly nonsensical babbling followed. It lilted and punctuated sharply in the heavy air, high ceilings, sombre pathways, strange corners. He leaned against a wall. She echoed all around him.

"They should close the damn door," he breathed out to the dark expanse of the hallway.

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-- I sincerely wanted anyone who read this to end up feeling a little off balance, like the main character. If I succeeded, let me know, a.k.a- reviews please.


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